AMN / WEB DESK
In a major friendly development, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud has directed all the Saudi ministries and governmental institutions to provide any additional support or facilitations that their Qatari counterparts may need in support of Qatar’s efforts in the hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Saudi Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal said that he will follow the implementation of Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s directives.
Qatar on Sunday made history as the FIFA World Cup – the first-ever football showpiece in the Middle East and Arab world – kicked off at the Al Bayt Stadium.
The Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani inaugurated the opening ceremony before hosts Qatar take on Ecuador in the inaugural match at the packed 60,000-seater venue.
Thousands of fans celebrated on the eve of the historic day all across the country with Qatar ready to deliver the promise of staging the best-ever edition of the tournament. Qatar made widespread preparations to host the greatest show on Earth since winning the right to host the mega event in 2010, completing state-of-the-art infrastructure with an unprecedented pace.
Eight world class stadiums and training facilities have already welcomed all the 32 competing countries with superstars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar in town seeking glory in Qatar. With more than 1.5 million fans due to travel to Qatar as official ticket sales stand at 2.95 million, the host country organisers announced their complete readiness long before the kick off. All arrangements including safety protocols and accommodation for the visiting fans were completed, they announced earlier this month.
Qatar 2022 is the most compact version of the tournament in modern history as the longest distance between stadiums is just 75 kilometres. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said Qatar 2022 is set to be the best World Cup edition ever.